


Paris Carnival

by Tsuki (Tsuki_Taiyo)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-28 06:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8434798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuki_Taiyo/pseuds/Tsuki
Summary: Carnival has come to Paris and everyone celebrates, so it's no wonder Marinette has her hands full to keep up with the wishes of her friends. Of course she had school and Ladybug duties as well. But at last the day of truth finally arrived.As for the heroes of Paris, well, carnival is called the fifth season for a reason. There is no one excluded from its costumes, even if it means learning to cope with new conditions. And dealing with another akuma of course.





	1. The Fitting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Marinette, this costume is amazing! I can practically feel the power curse through my veins!”, with a sudden stop, the brunette halted in her path. Legs spread wide for better balance, Alya turned slightly to the side so her left shoulder was turned towards the boys, arm slightly angled, as she draped the other pointed at them over her left arm. “In the name of the catnip, I shall pun-ish you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's Halloween, but this felt like it should take place at carnival, so we're in February and not in October or November. There is this huge Parisian celebration for carnival so I figured it'd fit either way and it's just some bit of fluff and stuff. Hope you have fun
> 
> Also I don't own Miraculous or any of the other implied character's shows. They belong to their respective authors and creators.

Marinette couldn’t believe this was really happening. Adrien was in her room to do a fitting for a costume she designed for him. Okay, Alya and Nino were there for the fitting of their costumes as well – but Adrien!

It all started with the announcement that their school would participate in the celebration of the Paris Carnival. On Friday evening there was a party for the whole school planned, with karaoke, costume competitions and the like. Their class had signed up to decorate the gym, Nino had helped select the music the DJ would play and Alya was going to write an article about the event for the school website. Marinette had the honour of making their costumes. Not for everyone everything, but most of the class came to her either for advice or to request certain items, masks with special designs on them for example. So her week had been filled with sorting through fabric and means to decorate and create the patterns her classmates had asked of her. Of course she had school and Ladybug duties as well… Fortunately Hawk Moth had not thrown any akumas at them. _Maybe he is busy with preparing for carnival as well?,_ Marinette had wondered more than once, only to break out into a fit of giggles at the ridiculousness of the thought.

Adrien poked his head out of the trapdoor leading to the balcony Marinette and Alya had been waiting on as the boys got dressed downstairs. “You can look now.”, the blond told them. “Oh great, I can’t wait to see you and Nino. I bet Mari did a great job – as always.”, Alya jumped up and shooed the boy away so she could descend back into the room.

“Oh my goodness! Girl, this time you topped it all.”

In front of them stood two figures seemingly right from an anime. Nino wore a black tuxedo with red cuffs, white under vest, a red and black dotted bowtie, mask and cape, which hung from around his shoulders down to his knees. White gloves covered his hands in which he held a single red rose. Nino lifted his right hand to adjust the silk hat with a red and black dotted ribbon slung around its base. “Is this really necessary?”, he asked, looking uncomfortable. “I feel uncomfortable.”

“You look absolutely perfect.”

Marinette scrutinized him with professional eyes. _The tuxedo fits perfectly; the cape is long but not too long. No accidents from stepping onto it should happen. Hm. If it now falls as it should during and after movement…_ “Could you turn please?”, she asked. The grumbling boy did as instructed. Behind him the cape billowed. _Form’s okay, no danger of trapping someone in the cape when dancing in spinning circles either._ “Very good, thank you. I think that’s it. Your costume is ready. I’ll look over the seams once more this evening and give it to you tomorrow morning in class.”, she noticed the shocked expression on her friend’s face. “Don’t worry, I’ll put it in a bag.” Alya snickered: “My poor baby. Put off by the pattern of a ladybug and formal clothing.” Nino retorted something but Marinette was not quite listening as her friends bickered among themselves. She had turned to Adrien – and was lost.

Her professionalism was stripped from her with one look. _Oh god… He’s hot._ Although the clothes he wore were baggy and hiding every muscle she knew him to have due to all the sport he did, there was an allure to this hidden beauty. A promise of power lay beneath the loose fabric that was his costume.

The red cloth let his golden hair shine even brighter; his emerald eyes sparkled. _Oh my god he is hot… So hot. Definitely an eye-catcher. Red makes more attractive, but at this rate I won’t be able to talk to him all evening. Damn he is so incomparably hot!_

“Marinette?”, the boy tilted his head to the side as she didn’t react in any way. “You look perfect”, she responded dreamily. A second later the black haired girl suddenly blushed crimson, starting to stutter: “I m-mean you always look g-good to me? Not that I pay special attention to it – I mean it’s not as if I am not not looking at you… Ah! Of course I am not staring or anything, that would be weird, wouldn’t it? I meant-”

_Damn him! This throws me back to when we were just forging our friendship and I crushed on him so hard I was unable to form one coherent sentence around him. Why does it have to come back just now?!_

A hand on her shoulder stopped her in her rambling. Adrien smiled gently at the flushed designer. “I am glad you like the costume you designed. If you ask me, it’s very neat.” As if to prove a point he twirled around in a circle, presenting the blood red hakama pants and haori kimono above white undergarments. Wide sleeves slightly trailed behind his movements. At the end of his circle Adrien folded his hands in front of him inside the sleeves.

Somehow Marinette was able to switch back to professional mode, assessing the shift of fabric with his movements. “It fits perfectly.”, she was astounded. “First try on this kind of clothing and it fits perfectly. I’ll check the seams one last time as with Nino and give it to you tomorrow in class.”

“I am looking forward to it.”

Marinette blushed again, speech lost on her. “You are very talented, Marinette.”, Adrien complimented. A squeak was her response. A squeak, which drew Alya’s attention back to her best friend. “Yes, talented indeed. Now I am very eager to try on my own costume. So if you boys don’t mind”, she pointed at the door leading to the balcony, “there’s the door, if you would be so kind to wait for us.” Nino and Adrien dutifully retreated to the balcony, leaving the girls to their business.

**oooOooo**

“You can come down now. We are ready.”, Marinette announced to the boys. Both climbed down to ground level in Marinette’s room. Nino was the first to stop and stare. Alya was hopping around like crazy in a black, pleated, very short skirt which barely reached mid thigh, with a green back tie, leaving the green short-cut leggings peeking out. From the hem of the leggings her legs went on until they met black knee high boots with green rim and a paw print on the front. Her top consisted of a black sailor top with a green bow and collar with three black stripes. In the middle of the bow sat a brooch with another green paw print on it, which matched the choker necklace Alya wore. “Isn’t this costume amazing?”, she gushed, still hopping around so wildly, Adrien was surprised he even caught a glimpse of the tiara on her forehead with another green gemstone in her flurry of movements.

“Marinette, this costume is amazing! I can practically feel the power curse through my veins!”, with a sudden stop, the brunette halted in her path. Legs spread wide for better balance, Alya turned slightly to the side so her left shoulder was turned towards the boys, arm slightly angled, as she draped the other pointed at them over her left arm. “In the name of the catnip, I shall pun-ish you!”, she proclaimed. While Nino simply stared at her open-mouthed, not believing he had heard right, Adrien burst out laughing. Alya started hopping around once again.

“Tell me again, why I am bound to be her partner?”, Nino whispered to Adrien. The blond gave him a Cheshire grin: “I think that is because Alya is the Sailor Meown to your Tuxedo Beetle.”

“Bro, you didn’t just say that, did you”

“He did”, another voice added. Nino and Adrien spun around coming face to face with Marinette. She wore a slightly longer, light green, pleated skirt with matching collar to her white sailor top. The collar was tied with a red ribbon just like her hair. Knee high white socks covered her calves, her feet in simple brown shoes. _Oh wow_ , Adrien thought. _Marinette looks so cute in her costume. Wait… Are those a bow, quiver and arrows behind her shoulder? Oh yes, yes they are._

“Remind me to never get on your bad side.”, he winked at her. Marinette blushed profusely but smiled nevertheless. However the girl couldn’t even begin to formulate an answer, as she was tackled into a hug by a green and black lightning. “Oh thank you Marinette! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”, Alya chanted. Marinette giggled in response: “It was no problem at all. After all I suggested designing and sewing our costumes. It was you who decided to do a crossover of anime and Ladybug and Chat Noir while Adrien and I chose to stick to the traditional image of our characters.”, she touched her pigtails with a grin and looked at Adrien’s puppy-ear-less head. “Well, more or less. Now, after everyone tried their costumes on and we are sure they fit, I suggest we all change back. Tonight I will control them and by tomorrow morning you will have them.”

“And tomorrow evening we will be the best clothed of the whole school.”, Alya added slyly. Nino looked down at his tuxedo: “At least with that I cannot argue…”

“Wear it with pride. It’s not everyday you can sport such clothing.”, Adrien patted his friend’s shoulder. “Then why don’t we switch costumes, eh?”, Nino wanted to know. “Because Marinette designed this costume to fit only me and Alya is only half her Sailor Meown without you as her Tuxedo Beetle.” Nino gave him a dark look. “You love that pun, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes I do.”


	2. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who will the spotlight select this time?” Two bright beams flickered over the crowd. “Who will it be? Let us see. Just making this a bit more dramatic.” Some people laughed. Marinette began to glide through the mass of students once more. She didn’t get more than three or four steps from her last place. Suddenly bright light was all around her. The voice of the DJ boomed through the room. “And there we have our first volunteer. Come here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So another chapter for our carnival. They're at the party celebrating. And I hope you'll have fun with them. ^^
> 
> I don't own Miraculous or any of the other implied character's shows. They belong to their respective authors and creators.

“Tikki, come”, Marinette opened a hidden space in her quiver. “I tried to make it as comfortable as possible since I can’t take my purse with me.”

“That would look strange.”, Tikki giggled. “I am so excited! I love carnival. The masks, the costumes, colours everywhere. It’s a paradise for any superhero, because they can pretend to be simply dressing up. With some Ladybugs we even altered the suit when a mission occurred while they were celebrating. It was so much fun and they gained new experiences with different weapons.” Marinette cupped her hand for her kwami to land in. “If I find a corner where no one can see us, you could phase out of your hiding place and watch the spectacle hidden above.”, she suggested. “I’d love that, but what if an akuma happens to cross paths with you?”, Tikki asked. “It would be very difficult for you to transform without me.” Marinette grinned at the little creature: “You mean impossible? Well yes, but I’ve managed akumas without transforming before. I guess I’ll have to hold out until I can get to you and transform.”

“Hm”, Tikki tilted her head in thought. “Let’s see, if I choose to leave the quiver or not.” Before Marinette could answer, her mother called upstairs: “Marinette, Alya is here to pick you up.” Tikki flew up to nuzzle her wielder’s cheek one last time before disappearing into the hidden compartment in the quiver. An approving sigh could be heard from the inside, which made Marinette smile as she slung the quiver carefully over her shoulder and placed the bow next to it.

At the bottom of the stairs Alya stood in her Sailor Meown outfit. She had her hair tamed back into a high ponytail with the shorter strands framing her face. “Hey girl”, Alya greeted. “Strange to see you without the pigtails…” Marinette combed a hand through the loose strands. “Yeah, I figured it’d be more fitting to let them loose. I think it fits the costume though.” Her best friend nodded in confirmation. Sabine stepped up to the girls with a camera in hand: “I’d like to take a quick photo of this moment. You two look adorable.”

“The one thing every woman loves to hear”, Alya whispered to Marinette as she slung her arm around the other girl’s shoulders. They smiled as Sabine took pictures from different angles and in different poses. “Mom we really need to go now”, Marinette said after the twentieth picture was taken. “Oh yes, right right”, Sabine smiled at them. “Have fun girls and don’t be home late.”

“We won’t”, both girls replied, waving as they left. “Your maman is so adorable.”, Alya murmured as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. “I love that about her.” Marinette gave her friend a sideways glance: “She is my mother. Go get your own, Sailor.”

“Oh believe me I will, little priestess.”

The friends laughed full heartedly as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Marinette reached for the handle of the front door.

“Good evening Ladies”, two figures stood in front of the doorway, one blond the other brown haired. Adrien snatched the hat from Nino’s head with a bold grin. Bowing to the girls he waved the silk hat in front of him. “Allow us to escort you to tonight’s ball.”, he requested. Marinette instantly felt her cheeks heat up: _Oh my god! Did he just bow to me? Escort us to the ball? Oh gosh, just like a real prince._ She laughed internally at herself. _Well, tonight he is in fact my prince. He is my prince every night._ Marinette halted abruptly in her train of thought, cupping her face in her own hands. _Did I just think that? W-Well, somehow it is true, but it sounds so weird… Oh no! Does he think I am weird?_

Alya touched her obviously internally panicking friend at the shoulder. “Marinette, are you ready to go or do you need a minute?”, she wanted to know. “Huh?”, Marinette blinked back into reality, staring startled at her three friends surrounding her. Adrien gave her a calming smile. “You spaced out for a second. Do you want to go to the party now?”

“Yes, I do”, was the girl’s breathy reply, allowing her dream prince to take her arm and pull her forward. Alya and Nino, who by now had his hat back, walked behind the pair with knowing smiles.

  **oooOooo**

As soon as they arrived at the party, music flooded their senses; lights blinded the four friends for a second. And then a Ladybug costume ran at them with the cry of a banshee. “Adri-chou!” Marinette got whipped in the face with a blond ponytail as Chloé secured her hold around the arm the black haired girl just had held. “Hey Chlo”, Adrien greeted politely. “How are you?”

“Oh just great and see, our costumes match in colour and theme!”

Marinette furrowed her brow: “How does the heroine of Paris and a character from a manga written over fifteen years ago go together?” Chloé whipped her head around to stare her down – or try to do so. “Well for one we obviously wear the same colour. And Ladybug is planned to be converted into a comic, thus making her a fictional character as well as a real one. See, how perfectly Adri-kins and I fit together? Just like real friends should.” Alya snorted behind them: “Those two characters are nothing alike. Besides”, she grinned mischievously, “I believe Ladybug is more of a cat person.”

“And Adrien is, with all due respect, no cat”, Nino added. During the conversation the blond had tried to loose Chloé even though she neither noticed nor seemed to care as he stepped away from her. Only for a split second Marinette thought to see a flicker of something in his eyes. Something akin to amusement at the assumption of him being no cat person? _Huh? Maybe he loves cats in secret? Or maybe it is because his original character is a dog demon… Like cats and dogs or something? Whatever it is, it seems to have lifted his spirits._

Through the crowd of costumed students Marinette caught sight of a familiar figure. _No, he can’t be here!_ , was her first thought before she noticed the red hair the cat ears sprouted from. Sabrina was no doubt looking for Chloé, who had abandoned her so-called friend at the first sight of Adrien entering the gym. Alya had followed Marinette’s line of vision. “Chloé, I believe your Chatte Noir is searching for her Lady.”, she announced. The blonde didn’t even glance in Sabrina’s direction, choosing to cross her arms over her chest for a second before latching back onto Adrien. “Let her wait. I found a new partner.”

“Ladybug would never abandon her cat.”, Adrien told her frowning. “She is always looking after him.” Chloé seemed to reconsider, which prompted Marinette to jump in: “Yes. She would never let Chat Noir wait or worry for her unnecessarily.” Both teens shared a long glance, a strange sense of understanding passing between them. Chloé whined: “But I want Adri-honey as my partner.”

“You don’t always get to choose who your partner is.”, Nino added in. “Let me tell you.” Alya turned on him. “What is that supposed to mean?”, she growled. “That I never thought how much I could love you.”, Nino responded gently, stroking the brunettes upper arm. “Nice catch”, Adrien murmured under his breath, earning a lopsided grin from his friend as he and Alya drew farther into the room.

“Gross”, Chloé made a face. “But he has a point.”, Marinette insisted. “You chose Sabrina to be your partner. Don’t let her down like that.” Again a ponytail whipped through her face as the mayor’s daughter turned around to give Adrien a chaste kiss on the cheek. “See you around. I need to catch that good for nothing cat, before she ruins my reputation by doing something stupid.” And with that Chloé disappeared back into the crowd. Adrien and Marinette stared after her in stunned silence.

“Did she just do something nice?”, Marinette wondered out loud. “I have to admit I am not sure, but I think yes.”, Adrien told her. They looked at each other and laughed. “Okay, do you want to go dance first or get some refreshments?”, Adrien asked. “Refreshments”, Marinette decided. “Maybe we can find Nino and Alya.”

**oooOooo**  

And so the two of them wove their way through the dancing and chatting crowd of students. However someone thanking her for her help with the costume halted Marinette every other metre. She saw Mylène and Ivan dressed up as beauty and the beast in modern version. Masked people crossed her path, dressed in peacock blue and yellow-black stripes. Max stood somewhere in the back dressed as Einstein with Kim and Alix, in front of him, competing about who had the best costume. _It seems not even a party can stop these two from betting… It is their favourite thing to do._

As the designer turned back around to follow Adrien, the boy had already disappeared into the crowd. _Great Marinette. There you have the perfect chance to be as close to alone with Adrien as you’ll ever get; you even shook off the nervousness from seeing him in costume, only to loose him on the way to get refreshments… Well done._

Applause could be heard around her as if to echo her thoughts. Only now Marinette remembered there was a karaoke planned to take place on a little stage close to the DJ. Without even remembering the last song she applauded with the rest before listening to the DJ. “Now, thank you Aurora and Charlene for this lovely interpretation. Another round of applause for you two amazing girls!” Dutifully the students clapped again as the girls descended the small staircase. “Lovely those two. Really love them. Now let’s see, who our next lucky pair will be.”, the guy flipped some switches. “Who will the spotlight select this time?” Two bright beams flickered over the crowd. “Who will it be? Let us see. Just making this a bit more dramatic.” Some people laughed.

_Most of them are standing still; maybe I’ll be able to catch up to Adrien now?_ , Marinette began to glide through the mass of students once more. She didn’t get more than three or four steps from her last place.

Suddenly bright light was all around her. The voice of the DJ boomed through the room. “And there we have our first volunteer. Come here Black Beauty.” Marinette stared bewildered and blind at her surroundings. Her first instinct was to run and hide away from this, but then she caught Alya’s eye, her friend smiling broadly. There were no words needed between the two of them. Marinette was mutely cheered to go on and grasp her chance to shine. _How could I deny that?_

This time the crowd parted before her like the red sea had for Moses. Within moments she stood on the stage and received her microphone. The rest was a slight blur as the beam passed over the attendants of the party once more before landing on a familiar figure clothed in red. Adrien gave a sheepish smile, as some girls cheered for him to sing for them. His partner on stage played with her hair nervously, very aware of the sudden attention the stage got due to her male counterpart. _Now you have to show everything you got, Marinette._ , she told herself. _You can do it. You are Ladybug and this is a flimsy karaoke, of course you can do it._

  **oooOooo**

The music started up and all of a sudden Adrien was turning towards her. “Okay, can I just say something crazy?” His green eyes shone with mirth and the girl’s brain stuttered. A silly smile spread across her lips: “I love crazy.” Some students snickered, but it got all drowned out as her crush returned her smile with his brilliant one. “All my life has been a series of doors in my face. And then suddenly I bumped into you. Literally.” Marinette raised one eyebrow at him as if asking if he was serious. “I was thinking the same thing! ‘Cause I’ve been searching my whole life to find my own place and maybe it’s the party talking though I just now got here.”

With a laugh Adrien grabbed her hand, holding her on arms length, as they sang in unison: “But with you”, he twirled her around until she leaned against his chest, “I found my place.” Marinette craned her neck until she was able to see his grinning face again. “I see your face”, she told him. Something about that grin was achingly familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. An idea flickered at the edge of her consciousness, however before she could think further, the music took her hostage once more.

Adrien let her go, stepped up to her side, leaning onto her. “And it’s nothing like I’ve ever known before…” Marinette slipped out from under his arm causing the model to stagger a few steps to the side. “Love is an open door”, she giggled, carefree. He narrowed his eyes playfully at her, daring her to do that again. With a wink the girl stepped away from him further. “Love is an open door.” Before she could react Adrien had grabbed her middle, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched: “There is an open door, love”

“With you…”, Marinette blushed furiously, leaping away from the boy. “With you.”, Adrien leaped after her, going on one knee in a Romeo pose in front of her. “With you?” One twirl later Marinette found herself seated on his knee, staring into his blazing eyes. “With you! Love is an open door.”

The audience had gone completely silent by now, watching the dance on stage with rapt attention, as Marinette noticed with a start. Her blush reappeared and she played with a strand of her hair. “I-I mean it’s crazy”, she almost whispered. “What?”, Adrien asked curiously. Marinette tried to calm herself by standing back up and tugging a strand behind her ear: “We finish each others-”

“Sandwiches!”, the model exclaimed with enthusiasm. Indeed at the edge of the stage someone had a sandwich. Well, not anymore, now an Adrien wearing a Cheshire grin had it. Nevertheless Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion. “That’s what I was gonna say?”

Adrien whirled back around to her: “I’ve never met someone who thinks so much like me.” Marinette couldn’t avoid staring at him owlishly at that. Sure they were only sticking to the lyrics, but how were they thinking alike in this situation? However then his handsome smile caused her breath to hitch. “Jinx.”, she muttered more to herself than anything else. In response Adrien pranced around her like a cat circling its prey. At least the look in his eyes matched that image along with the slight predatorily glint in his smile no one else might notice. It was somehow really hot. “Jinx”, the girl murmured again.

The whole singing affair felt as if they’d known each other longer than they had. Somehow they guessed the others next movements before he did them. There was a mental connection of some kind between them neither had felt before with anyone else. “Our mental synchronization can have but one explanation.”

Marinette extended her hand towards him: “You” Adrien copied her pose without thinking: “And I” They stepped closed until they fingers touched. In a motion faster than the eye could follow Adrien had Marinette once again resting against his chest. “Were just meant to be.” In another twirl Marinette was an arm’s length away from her crush. “Say goodbye to the pain of the past. We don’t have to feel it any more. Love is an open door, life can be so much more!”

Apparently Adrien felt a need to make his friend even more breathless than she already was even without dancing around all the time. Without much effort he had Marinette back in his arms, bending her backwards until she could see the audience. “With you” As if she was as light as a feather the boy pulled her back up till their noses nearly brushed: “With you, love is an open door.” Although technically their act ended there Adrien seemed to want to go further. “Can I say something crazy?”

“Hm”, was Marinette’s dazed response. “Will you marry me?” Gasps could be heard from the audience, but Marinette beamed at that. “Can I say something even crazier?” A loud crash came from the roof, screams echoed from outside the building, heard even over the music. “Oh no”, Marinette moaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were wondering: Yes, I did that on purpose. The next chapter should be up on Friday, until then... Take care


	3. The Akuma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Wow, this is perfect!”, Chat Noir exclaimed. “I knew you were great but this is just fantastic. You’re the best Bugaboo.” Ladybug laughed in delight: “Learner’s luck.”  
> She shouldn’t have said that. Luck left them within the blink of an eye.  
> Snow Queen shrieked as the skin on her forearm was pierced. “At least now we have her attention.”, Ladybug reasoned. “Are you sure, there was a Ladybug good at archery?”, Chat Noir wanted to know, as he skidded to a halt on a roof above the akuma. “I am sure, that I am not her”, Ladybug shot back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirror Mirror on the wall, who's the best hero of them all? As promised today the third part of our carnival. Time for our heroes to reflect on their abilities. Hope you have fun ^^
> 
> I don't own any characters of Miraculous or other alluded shows. They belong to their respective owners.

Ladybug sank into a crouch on the roof of the school building. The akuma had ventured further down the road but not far enough to not see her anymore. It was a black haired woman, who apparently now called herself the Snow Queen. Fitting as it was a white dress covered over and over in mirror shards puffed around her knees like an oversized fluffy cloud – well as far as shards could be fluffy. A tiara was woven through her dark strands, baring the regal face with another mirror shard on her forehead. Her weapon was – of course – a mirror, which she wielded like a shield and everyone who looked into the glass instantly turned to look like their innermost quality.

“My Lady, you shouldn’t crouch with those fine clothes.”, a voice purred. Ladybug turned around and came face to face with a grinning Chat Noir. Just like her he wasn’t wearing his usual suit. Instead he was clothed in black Japanese clothes with green undergarments, a choker holding his bell where there was no zipper to attach it to. His mask seemed oddly misplaced with the rest of his outfit looking rather casual. That was when something caught the heroine’s attention. “A-Are those real cat ears? And a…a tail?” The thing behind his back tapped on the roof in irritation. “Yes, those are real, M’lady.”, Chat said. The ears twitched again. “How do they work?”, Ladybug felt herself drawn to those soft looking appendages. “How should I know? My kwami mentioned something about carnival being a time to try new weapons, then I transformed and felt those things”, he waved his hands around, “Sprout from my backbone and head. I can tell you I have them and probably only-” His green eyes widened in shock, as Ladybug reached out and rubbed his ears. “So soft.”, she cooed. Chat Noir flushed in a matter of seconds. _My Lady is touching my ears, massaging them even!_ It felt amazing. _I could sit there all day and just let her pet my ears. Oh god, I am probably going to –_

“Are you purring?”, his partner withdrew her hands carefully. Instantly Chat Noir’s eyes snapped open. When had he closed them anyway? The rumbling in his chest spluttered to a stop. The hero turned as red as a ripe cherry. Ladybug suddenly had a sly grin on her face: “What’s the matter minou, ladybug got your tongue?” Chat Noir cleared his throat, gathering as much of his bravado as he could in the short time. “You yourself look absolutely purr-fect today.”, the black cat finally got out. Ladybug looked down at herself.

As soon as Marinette had transformed, she had noticed the change in costume. She wore black running shoes with red-black dotted socks reaching to her knees. Underneath the pleated skirt in her ladybug-pattern she wore white leggings. Her white blouse now had a collar in the usual black-red pattern to match the mask. But what unsettled Ladybug the most was the fact that her yo-yo was nowhere to be found. Instead the quiver and bow were slung over her back.

“What can I say, I dressed for the occasion.”, Ladybug grinned. Chat Noir returned the smile charmingly: “Then we seem to have had the same idea. I’d call it luck, but this is destiny. Mental synchronization at best.” _Mental synchronization?_ In the back of her mind bells chimed, but there was no time to follow their lead.

“How about we concentrate on the akuma first and then you can criticise my powers all you like.”, Ladybug focused back on Snow Queen. “I never”, the feline hero started, only to be interrupted by his partner. “I have no yo-yo with me this time around. As far as I observed weapons like stones couldn’t harm her, so the dress is probably armoured. Furthermore I think you’ll need to carry me since I don’t have my yo-yo. Can you do that Chat?” Giving her a too broad grin, Chat Noir slid in front of his partner, allowing her to get on his back. “I’d do anything to be of help for you Bugaboo.”

“Snow Queen is bringing out the secret personalities of everyone, who looks into her mirror, so we should try to avoid that unless whole Paris shall know who we are. Stones don’t touch her; I want to see if our powers can get through to her. Even more so her mirror shards delude any clear views of her and where the akuma could be.”

“So we draw close to gain more information.”, Chat Noir summarised. “Yes.”, Ladybug climbed onto his back. “Well, let’s shed some light on this.”, Chat ducked down, “And maybe some other things later on?” Ladybug chuckled lightly: “Nice try next try kitten. We have an akuma to catch.” Without any hesitation, Chat jumped off the roof towards the akumatized villain.

  **oooOooo**

Drawing near was far too easy. Snow Queen focused mainly on the citizens closest to her, transforming them into divas or snakes or whatever was their most prominent quality. Ladybug caught sight of a man bathing in money. A bit further down the street Alya hid behind a trash can to record the scenes unfolding in front of her with her phone. _Why does she always appear in the middle of trouble? That girl apparently has a nose for it._

“Now we are near her. What now?”, Chat wanted to know. “I am not particularly fond of the images she surrounds herself with.”

“Neither am I. We need to get her away from the innocent before everyone is changed.”

_At the moment I am the only one able to draw the akuma’s attention. Chat has to carry me and I haven’t seen his baton on him, so maybe my arrows are the only things we have at the moment… Okay, there is no other option. I have to try._

“Careful Chat, steady now or I’ll miss my target.”, Ladybug reached behind her back, drawing her bow and one arrow forth. The muscles underneath her tensed. “Uh, I don’t mean to question your methods my Lady, but do you even know how to shoot an arrow?”, Chat Noir asked. “One of the former Ladybug’s surely was a master of archery. I’ll draw on that knowledge and everything will work out.”, Ladybug simply responded, already aiming at the mirror in Snow Queen’s hand. _At least I hope so. Tikki doesn’t speak of other Ladybugs often. But she mentioned them learning to fight with other weapons than the yo-yo on occasions such as this, so maybe one of them has knowledge of archery. If so and your wisdom is hidden somewhere, please, help me!_

Ladybug aimed, breathed out slowly and let the arrow fly. Both her and Chat Noir sucked in a breath at how straight it flew towards its target. There was seemingly nothing endangering the eventual disabling of Snow Queen’s mirror. “Wow, this is perfect!”, Chat Noir exclaimed. “I knew you were great but this is just fantastic. You’re the best Bugaboo.” Ladybug laughed in delight: “Learner’s luck.”

She shouldn’t have said that. Luck left them within the blink of an eye, the arrow flopping downwards instead of a few centimetres straight. Snow Queen shrieked as metal pierced the skin on her forearm. “At least now we have her attention.”, Ladybug reasoned. “Are you sure, there was a Ladybug good at archery?”, Chat Noir wanted to know, as he skidded to a halt on a roof above the akuma. “I am sure, that I am not her”, Ladybug shot back. “Now let’s get out of here, apparently Snow Queen has wings.”

True to her warning, Snow Queen unfolded shimmering wings with a soft flutter. “No more lies. The mirror shows the truth!”

“I am not looking my best today, I’m sorry”, Chat Noir called over his shoulder. “Oh come on kitty”, Snow Queen taunted. “All cat’s love shiny things.” A huge white spot of light danced across the floor in front of them. “Don’t you dare”, Ladybug tugged lightly on one of her partner’s cat ears to catch his attention. “There is only one thing this cat is interested in.”, he turned his head enough so Ladybug, still perched on his back, could see the Cheshire grin. She rolled her eyes. _This cat. Even flirting when there should be no room for it._

  **oooOooo**

Chat Noir felt his partner shift on his back as he kept hopping from roof to roof on the flight from Snow Queen. He missed his baton dearly, although it probably wouldn’t have helped against this akuma. After all one look in the mirror could very well turn him back into Adrien and Adrien was not very good at jumping from roof to roof and fighting for that matter. Adrien had a pretty face. On the bright side he had given Ladybug a piggyback ride for some time now. It felt amazing, even though his thoughts sometimes slipped from their path when she shifted. _She is so close. Just a breath away… I can feel her muscles coil and uncoil, her fingers without gloves on my shoulders…_

“I’ll try to get her out of the sky”, Ladybug announced. “Don’t let me fall.”

“I would never let you fall”

“Good to know, Chat.”

His ears turned as a hiss caught his interest. The arrow left the string directly heading for Snow Queen. Chat tried to keep his concentration on the task at hand: He needed to keep the head start his partner and him had created before the akuma to avoid direct confrontation for now.

Suddenly Ladybug stiffened. “Left!”, she cried in his right ear and being he cat he was, Chat Noir immediately darted to left to evade the noise. Only after the initial shock he recognised the sound of something buzzing on the now far right side. An arrow hit the roof. “Where did she get that arrow from?”, Chat wondered. “Her mirror deflected mine. Her dress seems to be arrow-proof as well. I tried.” That explained it. “I knew we were great, but this is far too much mirroring for my taste. Do you think your lucky charm might help?”

“I’ll try. We need to have faith that our last hope doesn’t shatter.”

“Let’s hope for a mirror-cle then.”

Chat Noir stopped in an open place. Ladybug slid off his back while he whirled to face Snow Queen. The woman floated down, the heart-shaped neckline glittering in the sun in different colours. Chat Noir caught glimpses of himself in some shards on her dress. Something tugged at his senses whenever he caught his eye in her shards. Something powerful tried to change him, draw his inner most fears to the surface. Chat Noir shook it off. A motion in the corner of his eye captured a part of his attention. Alya was peeking around a corner, still in her costume, now slightly stained with dust. Her phone didn’t waver as she recorded everything for her blog. The akuma’s feet shuffled causing first his ears then his eyes to snap towards it.

“Now kitty, have you come to play?”, Snow Queen tilted her mirror until the black ears twitched over the surface. “Let me reflect on that”, Chat tapped a clawed finger against his chin. _Wait… Clawed fingers? I don’t have my gloves on. But the claws are there. Maybe I am not helpless even without my baton._

“I don’t think I have time to play.” With a leap he escaped the mirror image of himself, skirted around the akuma and swiped her feet out from under her. Mirror shards broke as her wings shattered, flying in every direction. Cast away upon a sudden gust of wind. “Say, do you know the fairy tale of the Snow Queen?”, the woman asked, already getting back up. “Should I?”, Chat circled her, staying clear of the mirror. “The Snow Queen is a powerful sorceress with a magical mirror. But one day it breaks, sending its shards flying over the country. And whoever got one of the shards into his or her body turned evil.” _Oh no_ , the feline hero’s eyes widened in shock. _I just sent a gust of shards on their way. If she holds true to the tale, we are in for some more trouble. And defensive akumas usually have such tricks up their sleeves._

“M’lady”, he called out. “I don’t mean to rush you, but do you have the lucky charm yet?” Ladybug grumbled behind his back before answering: “I am still trying to figure out what I am supposed to toss since I don’t have my yo-yo with me. Just two more minutes.”

“We might not have two minutes. She sent for her minions.”

“Got it! Please let it work… Lucky Charm!”

Chat Noir felt a shift in the air as his partner worked her magic by throwing her bow. Knowing she probably needed his help for her plan, he drew back from Snow Queen, who sneered at the two heroes. _She didn’t demand for our Miraculous once… What does this mean? Is Hawk Moth not behind her?_

The woman tensed as her first minions in the form of a clown, pig and gorilla appeared. However it was a butterfly shaped mask in front of her face telling Chat Noir what was happening behind the scenes. His attention rapidly shifted back to the other attackers. Then to Alya, who by now had Nino at her side, tugging at her free arm urgently. “Get out of here!”, Ladybug called out. “It’s too dangerous for you.”

“Do we have a plan?”, Chat Noir wanted to know, already crouching in front of her. “I have another mirror.”, she moaned. Chat Noir turned and looked right at his reflection. _Oh no, I can’t say this. This pun is plainly over the top._

But there was no resisting it, no matter how hard he tried to bite his tongue: “I see a lot of myself in that.” Ladybug gave him the look, that told him he was out of his mind. “I’ll see to our new guests. You figure out how to use your charm.” Knowing his partner could do it without him for now and would call for his help should she need it, Chat Noir bounded on all fours as he ran towards the victims of the mirror.

  **oooOooo**

Ladybug stared at the mirror in her hand, back to Chat Noir fighting with his bare claws against three enemies without even expecting her to jump to his aid. _He trusts me to find a way to solve the case before he can either receive or inflict severe damage. I can’t let him down._

With her lucky vision the heroine looked around. The mirror in her hand blinked and then the mirror Snow Queen held. Ladybug’s eyes widened. _Of course! It’s so simple. How didn’t I notice it sooner? Without the mirror she cannot attack us anymore. Now where could the akuma hide?_ Ladybug narrowed her eyes slightly. _She never shifted her hand from the mirror. But the mirror fits her costume too well to be the hiding spot of the akuma. Maybe it’s something hidden behind the mirror._

Chat Noir was trying to keep the gorilla at bay, having already hit the pig unconscious and the clown didn’t dare come close the raging ape as the cat crawled all over the huge animal. _At least one of us has fun. And Alya is gone from sight, Nino must have dragged her back to safety._

Ladybug ran closer to Snow Queen, while simultaneously drawing an arrow from her quiver. “Don’t you want my miraculous?”, she demanded to know from roughly three steps away. Snow Queen turned her lazy gaze upon the girl. “I have no interest in them. I want to show the world the truth about people. Everyone lied to me, so now I am shedding light into that. The only interest I have is to unmask you.” Just like Ladybug anticipated the akuma lifted the mirror. Finding the perfect moment between two heartbeats, Ladybug crashed the mirror she held with the arrow. Just like everything before, Snow Queen’s mirror reflected it, in consequence cracking itself. “No!”, the woman howled in anger. “How dare you destroy my precious mirror!” In her anger Snow Queen swept her former weapon at the heroine, who caught a glimpse of herself in the cracked surface before capturing a piece of paper hidden on the back of the mirror.

“No more evil doing for you little akuma.”, she ripped the photo to pieces. “Time to de-evilise!” Letting herself be guided by her instincts, Ladybug drew another arrow and shot the akuma down from the sky. “Bye by little butterfly.”, she tossed the broken mirror into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug”


	4. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How did you get here?”, they asked at the same time. “Um… This is a bit awkward”, Adrien scratched the back of his head. “I was called by my father, because there was an akuma attack… But I can’t remember anything except seeing myself in a mirror… I guess I was turned.”  
> “Y-Yeah… S-Same”, Marinette’s cheeks were dusted pink. “Ah well... Of course I didn’t see your reflection. That would strange be, wouldn’t? Not that I don’t like your reflection, um…” She laughed nervously. “We should head back to school."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last part of this little project. Yay, finally got it! Fluff and stuff was really fun to write, thank you for the reviews, I'm always glad to hear your opinions on my little brainchild. Hope you had fun ^^
> 
> I don't own Miraculous, Sailor Moon or Inuyasha for that matter, they all belong to their respective creators.

Marinette and Adrien stared at each other in surprise. “How did you get here?”, they asked at the same time. “Um… This is a bit awkward”, Adrien scratched the back of his head. “I was actually called back by my father to get home because there was an akuma attack… But I can’t remember anything except seeing myself in a mirror… I guess I was turned or something.”

“Y-Yeah… S-Same”, Marinette’s cheeks were dusted pink. “Ah well... Of course I didn’t see your reflection. That would strange be, wouldn’t? Not that I don’t like your reflection. It’s a gorgeous reflection, um…” She laughed nervously. “We should head back to school.”, Adrien suggested. “I bet Nino and Alya are already looking for us.”

“I don’t think so. They seemed preoccupied with other things.”

The teens shared a look of understanding. “It seems as if our best friends are getting closer and closer still.”, Adrien said. “Maybe we should start to hang out more often. Just the two of us. After all I assume we will spent even more time together when Nino and Alya officially start dating.” Marinette looked at the pavement before her feet: “That would be nice. Both actually.” _She is timid, but at least the nervous stutter finally died down._ , Adrien smiled warmly. _And maybe I’ll find out what she is hiding. No one of our school went outside. I checked that before joining Ladybug on the roof. There was no student akumatized this time around._

The girl shifted her gaze up to the handsome boy walking next to her: “I’d like to get to know you better. Well, even better.” Another voice echoed in her mind. _“I’d call it luck, but this is destiny. Mental synchronization at best.”_ , Chat purred. _Maybe it was just a coincidence._ , she tried to tell herself. Still a feeling nagged at her. His words were so similar to the lyrics she and Adrien had had only moments before. _What, if it wasn’t a coincidence but a subconscious hint? Maybe Chat wanted to tell me something of deeper meaning or it was a slip up._

A sudden gust of wind caused both teens to shudder involuntarily. “Still February.”, Adrien noted. “It seems”, Marinette nodded her head in agreement. “Are you cold?”, the blond looked at her now shaking form. “Well, a short skirt and light blouse are not the ideal combination to be walking around in this weather.”, she laughed weakly. The boy simply shrugged off the outer haori and slung it around her shoulders, rubbing where he passed to warm her. “Better?”

“Yes”, Marinette squeaked, back to a light blush. “T-Thank you.” He smiled at her charmingly: “No problem.” They walked in silence for some time until two figures appeared from a street. Alya waved at her friends while Nino tried to keep up with her long strides and not look too winded in his tuxedo. “Where did you come from?”, Alya wanted to know. “Ah”, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “We got caught in the akuma attack. We are on our way back to school.” Alya looked to her best friend with a sly smile: “Uh-huh. Akuma attack, sure”

“We were!”, Marinette hurried to say. “Turned inside out”

“At least you didn’t have to run around Paris with cape and tuxedo and a silly hat.”, Nino panted. “Sorry Mari.” She waved it off. “How about you show us your material when we get back to school?”, Adrien suggested. “I’d love to see the newest fight of Ladybug.”

“Chat Noir must’ve been great too”, Marinette cooed. “Cat’s always land on their feet for a reason, don’t they?” Alya looked between the two in slight confusion: “I guess so?” However before she could dig any deeper, Nino draped an arm over her shoulders, still trying to catch his breath. “Damn girl you need to take me to work out with you some time soon. But not today. No more running today.” Adrien grinned at his friend: “I think we can manage that. Although Tuxedo Beetle should be able to keep up with his Sailor Meown.” The other boy glared and grumbled under his breath, as Marinette shook her head. “Tuxedo usually arrives at the scene of crime after Sailor, so there is no problem in that with our two heroes. Besides”, she turned to Adrien with a look he couldn’t decipher. “If we keep true to our roles you have to carry me around on your back.”

“Nothing easier than that.”, without waiting for permission, Adrien hurled the flustered girl onto his back. “Your wish is my kagome.”

“My name is Marinette.”, she played along. “Ma-ri-nette.” They laughed, completely oblivious to the knowing looks of their friends as they commenced their way back.


End file.
